A groundbreaking milestone has been achieved in the field of combatting malaria as scientists have discovered a molecule known as i-body at Melbourne’s biotechnology company AdAlta and LaTrobe University. This molecule, which mimics the properties of an antibody, is capable of blocking malaria parasites from invading red blood cells and liver cells. The i-body has demonstrated the ability to bind multiple strains of malaria for the first time, with high potency, thus being able to stop invasion.
Malaria, a life-threatening disease spread by mosquitos, causes hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide each year. Recently, local transmission of malaria has been found in Florida and Texas for the first time since 2003, raising concerns about the continued spread of the disease.
The discovery of the i-body has amazing potential, as stated by La Trobe University’s Professor Mick Foley, who is also the founding chief scientist of AdAlta. According to Dr. Foley, “Until now, no antibody-like molecule has combined the ability to bind strongly to multiple strains of malaria parasite with high potency killing.” This new i-body offers the possibility of a new approach to treating malaria by protecting cells from invasion at different stages of the parasite’s life cycle.
AdAlta, the company involved in this discovery, saw a 4 percent increase in its share price on news of the malaria discovery. AdAlta is a small Australian Stock Exchange company based in Melbourne, focused on developing treatments for diseases using i-bodies. The data revealing this increase in cases of malaria indicate the necessity of new tools to combat this life-threatening disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently linked climate change to malaria for the first time, stating that changes in temperature, humidity, and rainfall can impact the survival of mosquitoes carrying malaria. WHO Director-General Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed the concern that climate change poses a substantial risk to the progress against malaria. He emphasized the need for sustainable and resilient malaria responses, especially with the added threat of climate change.